by Lori Voth

Created on: October 08, 2007

With so many resources and technological capabilities we have available to us through the internet, it may not be too off the mark to presume that an online presence, simple or involved, is actually almost necessary to adequately compete in today's job market. Individual web site hosts, internet service providers and other related online businesses have made it so easy for anyone as young as my five year old god daughter to as old as my 75 year old grandmother to establish an internet presence that it almost seems no one should have any excuse not to be online.

What this also means, though, is that as more people become "connected" and even more so when they become actively involved in the online experience, the chances of you as a job candidate standing out from the crowd become statistically slimmer.

If you are in the job market and you are not already an active member of the giant online community, it would be extremely wise to change that quickly. Competition is only growing.

If you do have an online presence already, here are some examples of how that may help land you a job. Read on about how those without an online presence have less of an advantage while seeking a new job over those that do have one.

Search Engine Rankings
First, there are of course, the search engines. Depending on how involved this online presence of yours happens to be, you may or may not have published writing, artwork or personal or business websites that are associated with your name. In the case that you have, Google and other search engines have become extremely powerful and depending where and how often your name comes up in the results, potential employers looking into your credentials and history may likely be able to determine your level of experience, prestige and online popularity. The access to this information so convenient for employers, having something like your work examples right at his or her fingertips, is an invaluable opportunity that not all applicants can compare with and it just may get you the job. Keep this in mind as you continue establishing yourself online and seize any opportunity that comes along to get your name out there even more.

Career Sites
Another great bunch of online sources where an internet presence can help you land a job are the hundreds of career sites available. Most of these care3er networks allow users to post jobs, post resumes and profile and search for relevant job openings, often times free of charge. Posting your resume on major career

• 1
• 2
• Next Page >>